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Trump and the Justice System

President Donald Trump set out to reshape U.S. criminal justice and immigration enforcement. He is also the nation’s only president with felony convictions. Our reporting and analysis shed light on the impact of his first and second terms and his own experience with the system.

Illustration by Rune Fisker
Analysis
How Trump’s Immigration Orders Represent a Seismic Shift on Enforcement
The president’s actions move the federal government toward his promised hardline position. But some executive orders will face court challenges.
Three men, wearing orange and red uniforms, talk on telephones in a payphone booth area.
President Donald Trump, a White man wearing a dark suit, gestures with his hands out while sitting at a desk with a presidential seal on it. On the left, a man holds a stack of executive orders. In front of the president, photographers take pictures of him.
Analysis January 23
Trump’s Order Takes Aim at Transgender People in Prison
Few trans people receive gender-affirming housing and care in the federal prison system. This executive order would make it even harder.
By
A group of men wearing white uniforms, seen from the back, walk toward a fenced area. A guard stands by the entrance.
Analysis January 22
What Will Trump’s Executive Order on Private Prisons Really Do?
The order reverses Biden’s ban on private prison contracts with the Justice Department. Private immigrant detention never stopped and is expected to grow.
By
Trump, a White man in a navy suit and a red and navy tie, signs a document while sitting in the Oval Office.
Analysis January 22
Trump’s New Order to Expand the Death Penalty Misses Key Details
The order shows the president’s desire for more executions. But it’s unclear how the administration will carry out its plans, legal experts say.
By and
President Donald Trump, a White man wearing a dark suit and red striped tie, and his attorney Todd Blanche, a man with light-toned skin wearing a dark suit with a dark tie, appear on a monitor in a courtroom.
Analysis January 10
‘Was This Fair?’ People Behind Bars React to Trump’s Sentencing
The president-elect avoided punishment for his 34 felony convictions, highlighting how the legal system often treats the wealthy and powerful.
By The Marshall Project
Butler County Jail in Hamilton, Ohio, in 2023.
Closing Argument January 4
‘Perverse’ Incentives: How Local Governments Might Cash In on Trump’s Migrant Detention
Some local officials see President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations as an answer to their budget woes.
By
A combination of 15 screenshots of former President Donald Trump speaking at various events, wearing a suit and tie, and twice wearing a red Make America Great Again hat. In the top left and bottom right corners there is a set of quotation marks in red. The combination of screenshots is on a black solid background.
Election 2024 November 20, 2024
How We Reported on Rhetoric About Immigrants in the 2024 Election
The Marshall Project identified themes in over 12,000 immigration-related campaign statements and fact-checked 13 of Trump’s most repeated claims.
By
U.S. President Joe Biden sits in a white chair in a navy suit with his hands clasped in front of him.
Closing Argument November 16, 2024
Biden Has 65 Days Left in Office. Here’s What He Can Do on Criminal Justice.
Judicial appointments and the death penalty are among areas where a lame-duck administration can still leave a mark.
By
A person with medium-light skin, wearing glasses, a KN95 mask, gloves and an orange long-sleeved shirt, sorts ballots in U.S. Postal Service boxes.
Closing Argument November 9, 2024
Key Criminal Justice Takeaways from the 2024 Election
What’s next for President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal cases, immigration policy, justice reform and more.
By and
A combination of 15 screenshots of former President Donald Trump speaking at various events, wearing a suit and tie, and twice wearing a red Make America Great Again hat. In the top left and bottom right corners there is a set of quotation marks in red. The combination of screenshots is on a black solid background.
Election 2024 November 6, 2024
Trump’s Immigration Lies Paid Off at the Polls
Thousands of Trump’s public statements indicate his re-election will bring a return to hardline immigration policies.
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